Policy

These days, it seems as if the future creeps up on us faster than ever before, and with it comes significant change. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been reading on our Kindles for a decade, and that we’re able to order many of our favorite items with just our voice. There is plenty of analysis out there on the technology of the future.

Last week, Amazon’s Public Policy office in DC hosted an event with more than 20 public policy fellows from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute fellowship programs, which share a mission to prepare the next generation of leaders through fellowships, mentorships and leadership development opportunities.

Between the three of them, Amazonians Robyn Kanner, Bowen Ames and Annabelle Richard Backman have a long list of accomplishments: they’re award winning designers, entrepreneurs, activists and innovators. But after being selected to serve as voices for the LGBT community at the LGBT White House Tech and Innovation Briefing, they can add White House technology advisor to their lists of titles.

“And this is it, the big day – a uniquely American day.” So begins March, the graphic novel written by Congressman John Lewis that illustrates his experience marching alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. as the youngest leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

In between your shopping, take a minute to check out how our public policy team in DC is celebrating Prime Day! This week, they're welcoming to town representatives from each of our four customer sets –consumers, content creators, small sellers and enterprises that use AWS – where they'll head to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and staff to tell their Amazon story.

Congressman G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina spoke last Thursday on Capitol Hill about how “technology allows us to break down the barriers that African Americans have faced with traditional publishing methods.”